NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Microgrid V2G Charging 

Station Interconnection 

Testing

Mike Simpson

Mike.Simpson@NREL.gov

17 July 2013

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Infrastructure Working Council

Palo Alto, California

NREL/PR-5400-59200

This presentation does not contain any proprietary, confidential, or otherwise restricted information.
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Agenda

• NREL Electric Vehicle Grid Integration 

(EVGI) Background

• SPIDERS and Military Microgrids

• Previous Work

• Energy Systems Integration Facility

• Test Setup

• Results
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What is Electric Vehicle Grid Integration (EVGI)?
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SPIDERS: JCTD

• Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for 

Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS)

– Joint Command Technology Demonstration (JCTD)

• NORTHCOM + PACOM

– Demonstrate:

• Cyber-security of electric grid

• Smart Grid technologies & applications

• Islanded micro-grid

• Demand-side management

• Redundant back-up power systems

• Integration of distributed/intermittent renewables

• Ft. Carson: “Triple Net Zero” Installation

– Currently have 2-MW Solar array on-base

• Demo-ing several other RE tech on-site

– Project goal is to demonstrate:

• Large-scale renewables

• Smart micro-grid

• Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) with Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs)

Smith Newton Electric Truck; NREL PIX 17631 

REPLACE

Ft. Carson 2MW Solar Array

NREL PIX 17394
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SPIDERS PEV Charge Interface

Representative Block Diagram, TARDEC

Diagram courtesy Dean McGrew, TARDEC
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NREL Off-board DC V2G Testbed

• 2-port Ideal Power 

Converters unit provides bidirectional power flow with 

grid using Transit Connect 

Electric vehicle

• Operated at 60-A IPC limit; 

~1°C rate with no observed 

temperature affect

• Rate control from -20 kW to 

+20 kW through MODBUS 

interface

• Tests use J1772 combo 

connector

Charge

Discharge

NREL PIX 26445 NREL PIX 26446
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Bi-Directional EVSE

Touchscreen GUI Snapshot

Electrical Specifications

Continuous AC power 60 kW

AC connection to grid 3-phase (no neutral)

Nominal AC voltage 480 Vac

Maximum fault current contribution (to grid) 1700 A for 3ms

Maximum continuous AC current 133 A

AC voltage operating range 480 Vac +/-10%

DC voltage operating range 280-600 Vdc

Frequency range 57.0 – 60.5 Hz

Maximum DC fault current 600 Adc

Maximum operating DC current 285 Adc

Physical Specifications

Weight 2450 lbs

Dimensions 48” W x 36” D x 100” H

Environmental/Cooling Specification

Cooling type Closed Loop A/C

NREL PIX 26442 NREL PIX 26450
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Energy Systems Integration Facility

• 182,500 sq. ft.

• 1-MVA bi-directional 

grid simulator

• Low Voltage 

Distribution Bus

• Medium Voltage 

Outdoor Test Area

• Full Power 

Hardware in the 

Loop (PHIL) testing 

• Petascale High 

Performance 

Computing (HPC)

NREL PIX 26198

Research Electrical 

Distribution Bus (MW)

DC (±500 V)

• 250 A

• 1600 A

AC (600 V)

• 250 A

• 1600 A

ESIF - NREL PIX 26198

REDB - NREL PIX 20317
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SPIDERS Test Setup

Isolation

Transformer

Coritech EVSE

DC

480 VAC 3φ

250-kVA

Bi-directional

Grid 

Simulator

Research Electrical Distribution Bus (RED

-B)

Manual Control

250-kW

Bi-directional

DC Programmable 

Power Supply

GND/Neutral

Touch

Screen 

GUI

Scopecorder
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SPIDERS EVSE Test Setup (continued)

NREL PIX 26443

NREL PIX 26444

NREL PIX 26441
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Application of V2G Interconnection Test Procedure

• Based on IEEE1547.1 

Distributed Generation 

Interconnection Conformance 

Testing

• Validates safe 

interconnection during:

- Abnormal Voltage/Frequency

- Synchronization

- Unintentional Islanding

- Open-phase

• Measures performance:

- Efficiency

- Distortion
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Interconnection Test Results

• Early results show EVSE demonstrates most 

key interconnection compliance criteria.

• Still analyzing scope captures to determine final 

performance.

Coritech EVSE Unintentional Islanding Test Data: Pass 6/20/13
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Relevance

• Testing high power V2G using J1772 combo 

connecter

• Quantifies potential operational challenges 

prior to field deployment

• Applies existing interconnection standards to 

future vehicle opportunities

• Aligns with DOE mission including expanded 

role of electric vehicles in future grid 

operations
Special thanks to:

Our sponsor —

• Merrill Smith, Office of Electricity, U.S. Department 

of Energy

Project collaborators —

• Dean McGrew and Shukri Kazbour, TARDEC

• Russ Ristau and George Bilek, Coritech Services

• John Bothof, Burns and McDonnell

• Joe Redfield, Southwest Research Institute

Questions?